Greater New Orleans

Governor should veto bill that kills environmental lawsuit: Letter

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal addresses the media at the Republican Leadership Conference held in New Orleans on May 29, 2014 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.
(Chris Granger, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

Gov. Jindal and his legislative pals pushed through Senate Bill 469 (to kill an environmental damages lawsuit filed by a levee authority), which was clearly flawed, only partly because such retro­active undoing is a very bad precedent and likely unconstitutional.

Now we find it is really scary in its sweeping protec­tion of the oil and gas industry against existing and future lawsuits -- oh yes, including BP.

The governor has an opportunity to fend off the time and expense of defending this legislation and help us all breathe easier about BP and restoring the oil­ravaged wetlands by vetoing, not just refusing to sign, this bill.